The Semi-Final Frontier
by WarsOfShadows
Summary: Ash has finally defeated his biggest rival, Paul, and he now heads to the Semi-Finals of the Lily of the Valley Conference. But when a mysterious trainer, who has won all battles with only a Darkrai, proceeds to the Semi-Finals and is pitted against Ash, will he be able to win? [COMPLETE.]
1. The Semi-Final Frontier

_**How would differences in Ash's pokemon choices for the Semi-Finals affect the Semi-Final battle between Tobias and Ash?**_

 **So he-llo guys! If you've read the summary, you probably know what this is all about - a different take in the Sinnoh League. So it's Ash v/s Tobias again, but with major changes.**

 **If you'll notice, some of Ash's pokemon are powered up because, hey. What would they do in Oak's Ranch? Imitate fart noises?**

 **There will also be different pokemon used in the finals, so..Yep. Be ready to be BAFFLED!**

 **Disclaimer: Why do I need to do this? If I owned pokemon I would've turned this into the real anime. Gamefreak/The Pokemon Company/Satoshi Tajiri/whoever-the-hell, come on and sue me...Okay, don't.**

 **I don't own pokemon.**

* * *

"Darkrai, use Dark Void!"

The pitch-black pokémon held a crimson ball above its head, and slashed it at the opposing Hariyama. With the Hariyama stunned, the crimson ball struck him square on his chest, and a split-second later a pink bubble encased Hariyama. Hariyama was unable to do anything, and the bubble vanished as it put Hariyama to sleep.

"Damn!" the opponent cursed. "Hariyama, get UP!"

The other trainer smirked as he stared at his Darkrai, floating in front of him. "Darkrai, finish this; use Dream Eater!"

"Oh Arceus, no!"

Darkrai's eyes flashed red, and a shadow-like form of itself was formed. Its translucent form rushed towards Hariyama, who was fallen on his back, and sucked his energy through vapors passing from his face to Darkrai's. In a couple of seconds or so, the shadow-like version vanished, leaving Hariyama unconscious on the ground.

"And this is it for Trainer Solomon, folks!" the commentator announced whilst the audience roared in approval. The camera now focused on the winning trainer's face, his silky, grayish-blue hair covering his left eye. "Trainer Tobias has once again done the impossible - win with just one pokémon!"

This was all being seen on television by millions of people, including a young, raven-haired boy. He lightly slammed the table with his fist before turning to see his friends behind him.

"Tobias sure has a powerful team," Brock commented. "I wonder how he got that Darkrai in the first place."

"Oh, who cares," Dawn dismissed as she waved her hand in front of Brock's face. "Ash is still going to beat him if they have a battle!"

Ash's grim face broke into a small smile at this. Dawn really knew how to make a person feel happy. Pikachu yawned on his shoulder, stretching his tail before his eyelids covered his eyes.

"Anyway, we've got to go and check that damn board again," Ash said as he yawned. "I really want to know who my next opponent is!"

And just then a familiar boy walked in the Pokémon Centre, placing his pokéballs on Nurse Joy's desk.

"Hey Paul," Ash said, a smirk on his face, "Won any battles lately?"

Paul growled before he jerked his head towards Nurse Joy. Ash still was picking on him after their match. He took intense pleasure as he saw Paul, who had a certain respect for the raven-haired boy now, fume with anger each time he brought up the topic.

But Ash dismissed the situation. He headed out of the Pokémon Centre, Dawn and Brock ahead of him, with Paul still tending to his pokémon.

* * *

The four cards on the screen shuffled as the people assembled anticipated the results. A few moments passed by, intensifying the tension and suspense in the air until the unturned cards stayed still on the screen. In a flash, they were overturned, and Ash internally gasped as he saw his matchup.

…Tobias versus Ash.

"So this is it, ladies and gentlemen!" the announced called out. "The top four of the Lily of the Valley Conference! The first round will be between Edward Martinez and Kevin Kage, while the second round will be between the legendary Tobias Takuto and Ash Ketchum!"

The crowd roared. Ash looked around as Dawn and Brock gave him a sympathetic yet assuring look, and Ash was engulfed in fear. This was how his Sinnoh debut was going to end.

No…not this time.

No matter how strong his opponent was going to be, Ash Ketchum would do his best. He wasn't going to give up for some random trainer with a super-powerful legendary pokémon beside him; no, he wasn't. Ash Ketchum was going to win.

And so he was. _I'd better get my best pokémon for tomorrow,_ Ash thought. _And I have a perfect spot to destroy that Dark Void tactic…_ His lips curled into a sneer.

* * *

"Ash Ketchum, are you ready?"

He once again pounded the locker in front of him, creating a small dent in the door. This was the umpteenth time he asked himself the question, and albeit he answered a 'yes', he internally replied with a 'no'. He spent his last fifteen minutes there, waiting for the announcer to call out his name once more.

"Pika, Pika Pi!" the rodent said, and Ash turned down to see his pokémon charging with excitement and confidence. _It's time I stop acting like a wimp and get on the field!_

And so he did. With Pikachu on his shoulder, he reassured himself once more and entered the stadium, people cheering his name once he entered, and though it wasn't as loud compared to the one they gave to Tobias he still felt happy. He had a crowd with him.

He looked at the crowd and saw his mom and professor Oak seated next to Dawn, who was shaking her pom-poms in her cheerleading outfit, who in turn was seated next to Brock. These four were cheering the loudest for him, and he stood in his box as he stared at Tobias.

"Shall we begin?!" the commentator announced, receiving an uproar of approval in return.

"Good luck, Ash Ketchum," Tobias wished with his expressionless face.

Ash blinked. He didn't know what to do, so he wished the same.

"This will be a full six-on-six match," the referee announced. "There will be free substitutions, although there will be no usage of items allowed. The battle will be over once a trainer is out of usable pokémon or if a trainer forfeits the match. Ready?" He received nods from Tobias and Ash. "Begin!"

"Darkrai, go," Tobias commanded as he tossed a pokeball in the air which released the pitch-black pokémon.

"I've got the perfect match-up against this," Ash muttered. "Primeape, I'm beginning with you!"

* * *

"Why did he choose Primeape?" Delia asked to no one in particular. "I know he's got a type advantage, but what's so special…?"

"If Ash has chosen a pokémon, it isn't without reason," Brock commented, to which professor Oak nodded to. "I've known Ash for a long time and in a battle, he won't choose his first pokémon with a rash decision."

Dawn did not hear any of this. "Ash, you have to win…for me…"

* * *

"And so trainer Ash has sent out his Primeape!" the commentator stated the obvious. "But will he still be able to stand up to against Tobias' formidable Darkrai, even with a type advantage?"

 _Of course, you prat,_ Ash cursed in his mind. "Tobias, take the first move!"

"If you say so…" He unveiled his hand from his maroon cloak and pointed his index finger at Darkrai. "Darkrai, use Ice Beam!"

A thick beam of frostiness headed towards Primeape, who simply stood there and waited for the attack.

"What is Ash doing?" the commentator asked. "It looks like Ash is stunned, folks!"

"Okay, Primeape; use Dig!" Ash commanded.

"Ape!" Primeape burrowed into the ground, perfectly evading the oncoming Ice Beam. He waited for a few minutes in the ground while Darkrai looked around to see from which place he would erupt from.

"Darkrai, be careful," Tobias whispered.

"Primeape, now do what you learnt last night!"

"AAAAAPE!" Darkrai was caught unaware as Primeape erupted from the ground, fist faced up as he gave a fierce look at the legendary pokémon. Darkrai gasped for breath as Primeape's fist ferociously jabbed it on the stomach and Primeape then took this chance to listen to Ash's next command.

"Now use Close Combat!"

Primeape gave a grunt as he loomed over Darkrai. Darkrai looked up, having recovered from its literal shock, and let out a noiseless whimper. The look in Primeape's eyes showed Darkrai that it was about to be in for some serious hammering.

Primeape then began to wallop his enemy ruthlessly. Darkrai tried its best to shield itself from the onslaught, but to no avail. No part of Darkrai was safe. Primeape made sure to thrash on every single body part of the now helpless Darkrai. Tic marks even formed on Primeape's face to show how into this he really was. Each blow seemed to be more powerful than the last. Primeape would show this thing who the real one was in this match.

"Looks like Anthony's training paid off," Ash mumbled as he saw the onslaught going on.

"Wow! Ash's strategy came off really well!" the commentator said with excitement. "A Dig combined with a Mach Punch, and then a tremendous Close Combat!"

"Shit!" Tobias cursed as soon as Primeape did a backflip and landed on the grass. "Darkrai, use Dark Void!"

Darkrai formed a crimson orb and launched it at Primeape, who took the attack. A pink bubble sheathed him, vanishing a second later. Tobias smirked as he waited for the effects to take over, but…

Primeape wasn't asleep.

"Looks like Darkrai's Dark Void didn't work fellas!" the commentator announced, shocked himself. "But how is this possible?"

"What kind of sorcery is this?" Tobias uttered, stunned that the attack did not work. Darkrai itself was shaken. Never had the attack failed; ne-ver.

"My Primeape's ability is Vital Spirit, so he can't fall asleep. Primeape, finish this off with Brick Break!" Ash ordered.

"Darkrai, Psychic!" Tobias commanded.

Primeape lunged forward to karate chop Darkrai's head, but Darkrai simply pushed its lean arms forward and released a faint-pink wave of telekinetic force. The wave slammed into Primeape in mid-air and sent him flying away, interrupting his fatal attack.

"Damn!" Ash said. "Primeape, use Brick Break once again!"

"Darkrai use Psychic!"

Primeape's Brick Break was once again interrupted by a wave of energy, slamming him onto the ground as he gasped for breaths.

 _This is bad,_ Ash thought to himself. _I can't land a hit because of Psychic, and I've only got this one to break down Darkrai's defence…wait a minute!_ "Primeape, use Special Attack #1!"

"Primeape!" he grunted, and Primeape once again burrowed in the ground, evading an Ice Beam from Darkrai. Darkrai looked around, focusing on evading Primeape but Tobias simply smiled.

"Darkrai use Psychic to pull him out of the ground!"

"Even better," Ash said with a grin. "Primeape, once you come out, beat it to a pulp!"

"You know that Darkrai will restrict his movements, so Close Combat is out of your options," Tobias informed as he furrowed his brow.

"That wasn't what I was talking about." Ash looked at the ground, and it began to crack. "Primeape, unleash the fury, NOW!"

"PRIMEAAAAAAAAAAAAPE!" a formidable voice called out, and the earth burst open. Primeape was covered in dust, and fragments of mud tricked down his fur, and he hurled a sparkling, light-yellow orb of pure energy towards Darkrai. The dark-type was caught off-guard and the sphere slammed into it, sending it flying back and thudding against the ground. The Psychic wave wore off and Primeape fell down, breathing heavily.

"Focus Blast," Ash informed Tobias, a smirk on his face.

"Woah!" the commentator remarked. "That was a Focus Blast attack from Primeape, which was super effective against Darkrai! It looks like we're up for an interesting evening, folks!"

"Darkrai, get up and use Psychic," Tobias commanded.

Darkrai stayed still.

"Darkrai, I said get up," Tobias repeated, but his voice was calm. A few moments passed, and it was clear that Darkrai was knocked out.

"Darkrai is unable to battle!" the referee announced – he was stunned too. "Primeape wins!"

The whole stadium went silent at this announcement. A split-second later, the crowd erupted in cheers, congratulating Ash. Even Tobias smiled at this.

"I sense you are a brilliant trainer, Ash," Tobias commented. "Not many have taken out Darkrai throughout my journey, and if you've seen my battles, none in this tournament have taken out Darkrai. It seems that it is right that you have reached the Semi-Finals.

"But enough of that," Tobias said and his expression then turned calm and serious. "No more playing around. Latios, I choose you!"

Ash gulped. He should've taken a better set of pokémon. But nonetheless, he would do his best. "Primeape, can you continue?"

"Prime, Primeape!" Primeape insisted.

"Alright, Primeape, use Dual Chop!"

Primeape swiftly ran towards Latios with his arms glowing purple, and he brought down the side of his fists onto Latios' body, leaving two marks on either side of the Eon pokémon.

"Latias, finish it with Luster Purge."

Latios opened his mouth, forming and gathering white sparkles in front of his mouth, thus merging into a pink ball of energy. The sphere gathered more and more sparkles and grew bigger and bigger, finally stopping in size and Latios glared at Primeape with his glowing eyes.

"La…TIOS!"

A massive beam was fired from the ball, heading straight towards Primeape with great speed. With his eyes open wide, Primeape took the attack head-on, and he was engulfed by a pink beam of pure energy.

"Primeape…?" Ash asked, although he knew the result.

As the dust cleared, he saw Primeape lying on the ground face-first, unconscious and beat up. Ash sighed and took out his pokeball which released a red beam and absorbed the fallen fighting-type. "Good job, Primeape," Ash said with a small smile. "I'm proud of you."

"Primeape is unable to battle. Latios wins!" the referee declared.

"Trainers Tobias and Ash are now even. What will Ash bring out next against the formidable Latios?!" the commentator asked through his mic.

Ash took out another pokeball from his belt. He tossed the pokeball in the air and dramatically stated, "Gible! I choose you!"

* * *

 **So there you go! The first chapter of the rewrite of the most unfair battle Ash Ketchum has ever faced.**

 **I replaced Heracross with Primeape. I figured a way to stop Dark Void, and Primape with Vital Spirit would perfectly counter it. And since Primeape's been training with Anthony (that P1 Grand Prix freakazoid), he's got to be stronger since last time...way stronger.**

 **The next pokemon is Gible, as you all know, and there will be a surprise midway during the battle! *wink* I hope you guys liked the first chapter of this story, and please review.**

 **Keep reading, fellas, and reviewing is a must, or else I will call upon Lord Helix and tell it to bring its wrath upon you.**

 **Chill, guys. But I would appreciate it if you reviewed.**

 **See ya next time!**


	2. The 'Upgrade'

**And here is chapter two of Ash's Sinnoh League battle against Tobias!**

 **I hop you guys liked this chapter. R &R!**

* * *

"Gible, I choose you!"

The land shark pokémon jumped on the grass, furiously scratching his ear before he paid attention to his opponent. Gible cried out his name before taking his battle stance.

"Okay, Gible versus Latios. Begin!" The referee raised his flag.

"Latios, Dragon Pulse," Tobias ordered nonchalantly.

Latios brought his hands together and formed a turquoise ball of energy between them. It grew bigger and bigger until it stopped, and Latios then hurled the glowing sphere towards Gible. The sphere flew closer to the ground, grazing the tips of grass blades as it coursed towards Gible.

"Gible," Ash said, "dodge it with Dig!"

Gible swiftly delved into the ground, evading the orb by just an inch before it exploded into shards of light. Bits of mud were thrown and scattered on the grass, and a hole was in place where Gible once stood.

"Latios, use Safeguard."

Latios glowed momentarily, and a white ring formed around him as it circled the eon pokémon.

"Gible, use Dragon Pulse from the ground!"

The ground shook slightly, and Tobias' eyes grew wide. He was stunned, but that did not stop the ground from breaking up and unleashing a furious, turquoise sphere that slammed into Latios' underside and threw him in the air. Dazed, the eon pokémon shook his head before listening to parts of Ash's command.

"Gible, finish the Dig Attack!"

Gible jumped out of the same hole in the ground and slammed his head onto Latios' belly. The psychic/dragon type groaned in pain before he glared at the land shark pokémon that was on the ground, giving a cheeky smirk to his opponent.

"Latios, Shadow Ball!" Tobias ordered.

"Retaliate with a Dragon Pulse!" Ash retorted.

The ectoplasmic, shady sphere collided with the turquoise ball, completely obliterating each other and a cloud of dust formed, followed by a weak wave of energy that dissipated everywhere. Gible frowned along with Ash once they saw a shadow through the veil of dust that kept getting darker and darker by the second.

Ash sensed the danger that was about to strike Gible. "Gible, get out of there!"

Too slow. Those were the words a person would describe Gible in this situation. Latios broke through the curtain of dust, surrounded by an orange veil that soon turned purple which then led to orange streaks spiraling around the coat, smirking at Gible before slamming into Gible and sent him flying away into the wall behind Ash. A shockwave went through Gible's body before he slumped down to the ground, groaning and struggling to get up.

"It looks like Gible is into a pickle, folks. What will Ash do now?" the commentator asked in his annoying voice, according to Ash.

 _I'll kick you in your soft spot and make you sing soprano for a week if you don't shut up,_ Ash angrily thought in his mind as his fingernails pressed into his palms. He hung his head low, before Ash looked at Gible with confidence in his eyes. "Gible, I know you can do this! Come on, get up! You're not one to give up and I know it! You can't lose so easily, you know that yourself! I believe in you!"

Gible's mind barely registered what Ash had told him. He was too tired and couldn't really think. Even so, Bulbasaur still knew the grim situation he was in. He had helped win a plethora of battles for Ash, and he wasn't going to stop now. Not like this.

He was going to help Ash win the match.

And so Gible stood on his feet, dust on his body, and he gritted his teeth. His body started to glow a shining white, and Ash was stunned.

"No way," Ash muttered. "Gible's evolving?"

Gible grew in size and in strength. His arms grew longer and were leaner than before, and his skin turned a darker shade of blue. The glowing finally stopped, and now a Gabite took the place of Gible!

"Yeah!" his trainer muttered in awe. They stood a chance now. "Gabite, use Dragon Pulse!"

"Ga!" Gabite formed an aquamarine ball in front of his mouth, and he thrusted his head forward and hurled the glowing orb towards Latios. Too stunned to move by the events, he embraced the attack and flew back towards his trainer before staring at Gabite.

"Gabite, use Draco Meteor!"

"Ga…BAAAAIIIIITE!" Gabite's body glowed orange and he looked up before shooting an orange ball of light skywards. Upon looking like a miniature sun in the sky it exploded, releasing multiple, smaller spheres of light that headed downwards with tremendous speed, and was further increased by acceleration due to gravity. The spheres seemed to head down towards one target: Latios.

"Latios – dodge them and then use Giga Impact!" Tobias called out, and Latios duly noted. He moved right and left, spun at either side or even moved back to evade every single sphere that now went crashing down to the ground, disintegrating in the soil. Latios then cocooned himself with a purple sheath with orange streaks spiralling around him, and the eon pokémon flew towards Gabite with blinding speed.

"Gabite, use Dragon Pulse!"

Gabite threw another turquoise orb towards Latios; the orb and pokémon collided, creating a cloud of dust before Latias once again charged towards Gabite with the same speed and attack. Gabite, now scared, shot out another Dragon Pulse which Latios skilfully evaded.

The next second, Latios crashed into Gabite, who took the attack head on. Both pokémon were thrown back as they bumped into each other. Gabite hit the grass whilst Latios simply stopped in mid-air, but breathing faster than before.

"Gabite…" Ash took out his pokeball once he saw Gabite out cold on the grass.

"Gabite is unable to battle! Latios wins!" the referee declared.

"Another of Ash's pokémon is taken down by Latios!" the commentator shouted. "Ash is now going to reveal another of his pokémon, folks!"

Ash gritted his teeth as he took out another pokeball from his belt, but his frown turned into a grin as an invisible bulb appeared above his head. "Okay…Glalie! Let's go!"

"And Ash has revealed his Glalie! But even with a type-advantage, will he be able to defeat Tobias' Latios?" the commentator rhetorically asked.

"I just hope this plan works…" Ash whispered in a desperate tone.

* * *

"Hmm…Glalie is a good choice, but I don't think he'll be able to stand up to Latios now," professor Oak commented.

Dawn scowled. She had stopped her cheerleading moments after Primeape was defeated. Brock rubbed his chin while he stared at the battlefield.

"I think I know what Ash is doing," Brock guessed, "But I'm not sure how he'll pull it off."

"Ash, you can win this!" Dawn screamed at the top of her lungs.

"Pip, Piplup?" her pokémon questioned.

"Yes, Piplup, he will."

* * *

"Glalie versus Latios; Begin!" the referee shouted.

"Glalie, let's win this!" Ash said, earning a grunt of approval from the ice type. "Okay, use Ice Beam!"

"Glay…!" He exhaled, and he shot out a sheet of ice flying towards Latios. Latios retaliated by rolling to his left, albeit the tip of his right wing was frozen solid which caused him to slightly dip down to his left.

"Latios, use Dragon Pulse!" Tobias ordered.

"Glalie – Protect!"

Latios blasted a turquoise orb towards Glalie, which would've certainly got him down to the brink of unconsciousness if it hadn't been for his speed. Before Latios had even opened his mouth, Glalie projected a translucent, green barrier in front of him that completely stopped the orb from advancing towards him.

"Glalie, Ice Beam!"

Glalie opened his mouth and exhaled a thick, white beam of ice that headed straight for Latios and froze his left wing. Latios scowled before trying to shake off the ice, but it simply wasn't melting.

"Glalie, finish it off with a Blizzard!"

Tobias cursed under his breath. He pulled out an ultra-ball and said, "Latios – return!" Latios was converted into stasis and he was absorbed back into his pokeball, evading the powerful stream of ice.

"Good job, buddy," Tobias whispered as he clipped the pokeball back on his belt. "Magmortar, come out!"

"Magmortar, huh…" Ash rubbed his chin before he shook his head. "Never mind, Glalie; we can pull this off! Block!"

A red light shot from Glalie's eyes and enveloped Magmortar, marking the fire-type's chest with a small 'X'.

"Magmortar, use Lava Plume!"

"Counter it with Ice Beam!" Ash shouted to Glalie. Magmortar raised both of her arms and pointed them at Glalie; a blast of intense flames shot out of each arm, heading directly towards the ice-type. But Glalie was slightly quicker; before Magmortar's arms were half-raised, he had already sent a sheet of ice flying towards the fire-type. The two attacks collided; the fiery heat of the Lava Plume completely demolished the Ice Beam, but what flames were left over from the collision trickled harmlessly onto the ice.

"Magmortar, finish it with a Fire Punch!" Tobias ordered, impatient to finish the battle.

"Wait for it... wait for it..." Ash murmured as Magmortar charged ever closer with her fist surrounded by flames.

"Ash, what are you doing?" he heard Dawn scream, her cry somehow penetrating the noise of the crowd. "Glalie's going to be creamed!"

"…Now!" Ash shouted the moment he judged Magmortar was close enough. "Use Headbutt, but into the ground!"

"Gl…LAAAAY!" Glalie roared, charging headfirst into the ice. There was a resounding crack and the crowd gasped as one. The ground beneath the two pokémon shattered and Magmortar, unable to move to any form of safety, vanished between two sheets of earth.

"What?!" shouted Tobias. "Magmortar…return!"

The red light bounced off harmlessly from Magmortar's body and Tobias cursed. Block was still in effect.

"Glalie, finish this off with a Sheer Cold!"

Glalie's body was surrounded by a blue aura and the inside of his mouth shined white as he charged for the OHKO attack. Glalie floated towards Magmortar, concentrated his power in one spot and touched the tips of his horns on Magmortar's, encasing it in ice and knocking her out cold…no pun intended.

"Incredible strategy!" the announcer shouted out to a stunned and near-silent crowd. "Glalie perfectly ensured a victory for Ash once he cracked the ground and trapped Magmortar in two thick sheets of mud! I've never seen anything like this folks!"

"Magmortar, return," Tobias said as he gritted his teeth. This time the beam of red light did not vanish, and the fire-type was called back into its Poke Ball. "Alright, no more playing! Metagross, go!"

"Glalie, let's pull this off again!" Ash reassured. "Ice Beam!"

"Metagross, Protect!"

The sheet of ice headed towards Metagross with the intention of inflicting damage, but this idea was thwarted once a green barrier materialised and stopped the beam from hitting Metagross.

"Metagross – use Brick Break!"

Metagross roared before tucking in its four legs, speedily floating toward Glalie and then jabbing the ice type's body with fierce jabs. Glalie groaned in pain as a crack appeared on the lower half of his ice body, spreading slightly as another jab was thrown on the same spot.

"Glalie, use Ice Beam, followed by Blizzard!"

"Shadow Ball, Metagross!"

Glalie successfully blasted a stream of ice onto Metagross' face, freezing part of the cross on its face. Metagross glared before it opened its mouth and spat a purple ball of darkness at Glalie. The sphere managed to successfully hit Glalie, and he fell backwards after impact.

"Now, use Meteor Mash!"

Metagross' left arm glowed into a metallic shade, and the iron leg pokémon hurled a punch straight for Glalie's face. The hard punch struck Glalie like a meteor, and the ice-type groaned before a crack appeared on his face and then fell down, unconscious.

"Glalie is out of consciousness! Metagross is the winner!" the referee declared.

"Ash has only three pokémon left now!" the announcer announced. "Let's hope that the next pokémon shall be able to prove its strength again Tobias' intimidating and powerful Metagross!

We shall now take a fifteen minute break before resuming the battle. Hold on to your seats, folks! This match is one to remember!"

* * *

Ash was greeted by a group of four the moment he stepped into the locker room.

Well, it was mostly Dawn. His mother and professor Oak were smiling at him while Brock was grinning. The moment Dawn saw him, her casual expression turned into a joyous one and she ran towards Ash with all of her speed.

"Oomph!" he let out. Dawn caught him off-guard and pulled him into an Ursaring-crushing hug, and he couldn't breathe for a moment or so. It was only when Brock cleared his throat that she released him from the hug.

"Uh, yeah…" Ash rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment while Dawn whistled as she looked up in the air. Brock sniggered softly.

"Ash, that's a brilliant start." Professor Oak gave him a reassuring smile as he sat on the bench next to him. "You've managed to take out two of his pokémon; not to mention his Darkrai, who's never been beaten in this league."

"Yeah…" Ash looked at the floor before turning towards the professor. "I was first going to use Heracross because of the dual and advantageous typing, but he was still vulnerable to Dark Void. I decided to play on Primeape's ability, and since Anthony told me that he's been great over there, I couldn't refuse."

"That's great! But you should now focus on your next pokémon. What will you send against Metagross?" he questioned.

"…I don't know…I'm thinking of sending _him_ next; I asked for him yesterday, and they agreed to a transfer."

"That's good. Now, let—"

Oak was interrupted by the ringing of the bell and the roaring of the crowd. He got up and motioned to leave, not before smiling at Ash.

"Do your best, boy."

"Ash, I know you can do it!" his mom assured.

Brock grinned. "Hey, if I survived one region with you, then this is absolutely possible! Do your best!" Brock, Delia and Oak left, leaving Ash to think whether the statement as an insult or a compliment.

Ash then walked towards the door, but a small voice stopped him. "Ash…"

Ash whipped and saw Dawn with an unreadable expression.

"Ash, I…" But she stopped midway, and then obtained a happy expression on her face. "Ash, do your best."

And with that, she ran out of the locker room and into the stands.

* * *

"And this is it, folks! Let's resume the match!"

"Metagross, come out again," Tobias said, releasing the dual steel/psychic type on the ground.

"Okay buddy." Ash tossed a pokeball in the air. "Charizard, let's burn them!"

"A Charizard!" the commentator announced. "And he looks strong!"

"Metagross use Rock Slide!"

"Gross!" Metagross materialised rocks in the air above Charizard, and they rained down with tremendous force. The rocks were seconds away from piercing Charizard's body and knocking him out.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!"

Charizard breathed a powerful flame that devoured the rocks above him, roasting them to a crisp before the rocks crumbled down into ashes.

"Metagross – Flash Cannon!"

"Charizard, Flamethrower that Flash Canon!"

"Char!" he grunted. Charizard breathed a powerful flame once more that engulfed the metallic sphere – only to heat and power it up.

"No!" Ash yelled out.

The metallic sphere crashed into Charizard's belly, marking a bruise and sending him metres back. The flame pokémon leered at Metagross, who leered back at him.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Ash commanded.

Charizard snorted smokes before opening his mouth once again and breathing pungent flames that headed straight for Metagross. They engulfed the iron leg pokémon's body, causing its metal body to glow momentarily before cooling down and returning back to its normal colour.

"Charizard, use Fire Blast!"

"Metagross use Meteor Mash!"

Metagross thrusted its arm forward, extending it towards Charizard who unleashed a star-shaped flame that crashed into Metagross' arm. The arm started to shake once the flames subsided, disabling it from punching Charizard on the face.

"Charizard, now use Mach Punch on the arm!"

The flame lizard slammed his fist onto Metagross' extended arm, smashing it downwards and creating an unavoidable dent in the arm. The arm was bent at an angle and Metagross groaned in pain as it retracted its arm towards its body.

"Metagross," Tobias said. "Do you think it's time?"

"Meta, Metagross…!" the iron leg pokémon approved.

"Alright then," Tobias replied, to which Ash gave a confused look. What were they going to do now?

"What is trainer Tobias doing?" the commentator asked, who was confused with the whole crowd. "Surely they're not doing something rash…?"

Tobias ignored the commentator and unveiled his right arm. He bent his arm upwards and held onto a bracelet, and he tapped the front of it.

"Unleash the beast, Metagross!"

"Meta…GROOOOOSSS!"

Ash looked in horror as Metagross was covered with a rainbow-coloured cocoon that seemed to grow bigger every second. He could hear Metagross groaning in excitement and in pain as the cocoon grew bigger and bigger, until a white glow took place of the multi-coloured cocoon, and the orb exploded into light, revealing Metagross, who was at the same time not Metagross.

The pokémon in front of him was significantly larger than Metagross, and the cross on its face was pointed at the ends and now golden instead of silver. A sharp, pointed, metal horn protruded from a hole on its chin, and its four arms were now facing forward while it had four smaller arms behind. The dent on its arm had now vanished. The claws on its arms were larger than before, and on either side of its head were two triangular-prism-like structures that were pure metal.

"Behold the power of…" – Tobias paused for dramatic effect – "…Mega Evolution."

"Mega Evolution?" Ash asked with a raised eyebrow; he hadn't heard the term before now. "What's that?"

"Mega Evolution is colloquially called 'a pokémon's upgrade'," Tobias informed. "It actually enables a pokémon to reach its so-called natural state. It is theorised that some pokémon gain more energy than normal if they hold a Stone, thus enabling them to achieve their full potential."

"Cool…" Ash muttered in awe before realising the grave situation he was in. Charizard could manage to break Metagross, but a Mega Metagross…not so much.

"Let's begin!" Tobias announced. "Metagross use Bullet Punch!"

"Gross!" Metagross floated towards Charizard with blinding speed, and the iron leg pokémon jabbed furiously at Charizard with its four arms. Several bruise marks were visible on Charizard's yellow underside and he groaned as he took another hit.

"Charizard, use Flamethrower!" Charizard bore the pain and then breathed powerful flames onto Metagross' top, making it glow due to the intense heat and then fade away.

"Metagross – use Zen Headbutt!"

Metagross focused its willpower to its head, and then rammed into Charizard with its flat top. The fire type's eyes popped out and he gasped for breath as the attack took its toll.

"Grr…" Ash's nails dug into his palm as he thought of a way to beat Metagross. What could he do? He went through all possible attack he could use against Metagross, but…

"Okay, Charizard!" he said, gaining his pokémon's attention. "…Flare Blitz!"

Charizard's body twitched before he was coated by a hot fire, and he flew towards Metagross with all his might. He showed his head, but still glared at Metagross with his beady and now-narrowed eyes, waiting to knock the steel/psychic type out.

"Metagross counter it with Zen Headbutt!"

Metagross once again concentrated its willpower to its head, and it floated with brute strength towards Charizard.

"Wait for it…Now, Charizard!" Ash shouted the moment he judged that the two pokémon were close enough. "Flap your wings with all the strength you can; then, use Flamethrower!"

"Cha…CHAR!" A split-second from the command, Charizard flapped his wings with all his power and evaded the psychic Headbutt by just a millimetre apart. He left Metagross and Tobias stunned, and Metagross lost command of its flight and slammed into the ground. Charizard snorted before breathing flames on its body, leaving it glowing with heat and gasping for breath as Metagross glared at Charizard.

"Now, put it out of commission! Carry it and use Seismic Toss!" Ash ordered.

Charizard smirked. He simply waited to hear the command. He flew down with blinding speed and grasped the iron leg pokémon's body before flapping his wings again and flying into the sky. Charizard flipped thrice and, thinking it would be appropriate, flipped once more. He then plummeted to the ground, increasing the freefall acceleration by tucking in his wings and keeping his snout facing the ground, increasing his streamlined posture.

"Once you throw it, power it up with a Blast Burn!"

Charizard nodded. He flipped once more before hurling Metagross to the ground with all his strength; Metagross plunged to the ground, staring calmly at Charizard before the flying pokémon's eyes glowed red.

With an ear-piercing roar, he unleashed a humongous, scorching streak of flames that headed towards Metagross and crashed into its underside. The diameter of the flames was roughly ten metres wide, and the fire engulfed Metagross before it crashed to the ground.

Defeated…destroyed.

Ash grinned as he waited for the dust to clear, he waited to see Mega Metagross defeated, unconscious, utterly destroyed…but boy, were he thoughts wrong.

Metagross was floated a metre above the ground. Its body was dented a lot, but other than that it was perfectly alright. Ash couldn't believe it, and now he had to wait for Charizard's aftermath.

"That was tremendously executed," Tobias commented, "but you forgot one thing. Metagross can use protect. Sadly, it couldn't save itself from Blast Burn, but it still managed. And…I think your Charizard has to recharge after implementing that move."

Ash internally cursed. He could see Charizard on the ground, tired and unable to even move a muscle.

"Metagross…use Hyper Beam!"

"Meta…GROSS!" Metagross let out a loud bellow before shooting thick, orange beams from its arms and mouth. They headed towards one target: Charizard.

"Charizard…" Ash said, a tear trickling down his cheek. "I'm sorry I can't help you…"

"Cha…Char…"

Charizard smirked before being engulfed by the beams.

* * *

 **So this was it!**

 **No, we're not having an Ubermensch Tobias around here. No, he will not have Arceus or Mewtwo by his side. Why did it do this? Because they're called Legendary Pokemon for a reason, and beating up six of them is utter bullshit. Aaaand I don't want Ash to get his ass whooped.**

 **So I hoped you liked the idea of bringing Mega Evolution here! I wanted a powerhouse other than Latios and Darkrai, and having a Mega Metagross was just cool.**

 **Plus, Mega Metagross looks badass.**

 **Oh, and I liked the idea of Glalie trolling Magmortar out there. Sheer cold just beat that ass!**

 **Yay, Gible evolved! But then I don't understand how Gible won so many matched simply in its first form. And having Latios defeat him would be understandable, because we don't want every other pokemon defeating Tobias' pokemon.**

 **And then comes Charizard. I didn't want him too be overpowered, but I didn't want him to be underpowered at the same time. I was planning to give him a Mega Evolution, but...no. I think I did justice to the Charizard v/s Metagross battle.**

 **So that comes to the end of my (boring) author's notes. See you guys next chapter and, as always, review!**


	3. Blades

**And so Charizard is out! I know some of you all will be mad at me, but...**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own pokemon.**

 **R &R!**

* * *

"Charizard is unable to battle!" the referee declared. "Mega Metagross is the winner!"

"That was an amazing round, folks!" the commentator said. "The battle between Tobias' now Mega Metagross and Ash's Charizard was a heated one! I can't believe it! The power of Mega Evolution is incredible!"

"Charizard, you did all you could, and I'm proud of you." Ash unknowingly kissed the pokeball before clipping it to his belt. "Alright buddy! I hope the training between you and Charizard last night has paid off! Sceptile, go!"

"So Ash reveals his Sceptile. Will he be able to stand up against Tobias' Metagross?" the commentator asked.

"Ash…" Tobias said, "…you are an amazing trainer. I wouldn't doubt the fact that you could Mega Evolve your Sceptile."

"Really?" he asked. He really hoped that Tobias would give him a Stone or whatever that would Mega Evolve Sceptile.

"But let's continue," he said, crushing all of Ash's hopes.

But Ash let it be. Besides, he didn't need something like Mega Evolution to defeat a pokémon! He could do it on his own!

"Metagross use Zen Headbutt!"

"Me…Meta…"

"What?" Tobias asked, stunned. "I said, use Zen Headbutt!"

Ash's mind clicked and he grinned. "Metagross still has to recharge from Hyper Beam. Sceptile, use Dynamic Punch!"

"Drat!"

Sceptile, with his amazing speed, ran towards Metagross with his right fist glowing white. He let out a battle cry before giving a powerful jab that created a dent in the middle of the cross on Metagross' face.

"Now we can attack! Metagross use Flash Canon!"

Metagross shot a bolt of iron towards Sceptile, and the grass lizard swiftly avoided the sphere from hitting him.

"Sceptile – use Dynamic Punch again!"

"Scep!" the grass type called out. He once again slammed his fist against Metagross' body and caused a small depression.

Ash grinned. If this kept going on, Metagross would soon be knocked out…or maybe not.

"Metagross retaliate with Bullet Punch!" Tobias called out.

"Met!" it shortly said. Metagross charged up its fists and they glowed metallic-white. It then thrusted its arms repeatedly, desperate to land a hit.

Sceptile's speed was overwhelming. He dodged each and every jab easily and without breaking a sweat. He ducked, sidestepped or jumped to dodge the punches, ever ready to please his trainer.

"Sceptile, show me what you learnt from Charizard back in the Ranch!" Ash suggested.

Sceptile smirked. He jumped back, much to Tobias' and Metagross' confusion. He then formed a purple sphere, which was as big as Latios' Dragon Pulse, between his palms and held it in that spot for a moment. Sceptile then launched the ball at Metagross, who took the brutal attack and was somewhat pushed back.

"Woah!" his trainer exclaimed. "Charizard taught you Dragon Pulse!"

 ** _A/N: Before anyone tells me that this is bullshit, let me remind you that by ORAS tutoring, Sceptile can learn Dragon Pulse. Now let's continue._**

"Metagross—"

"Finish this. Leaf Storm!"

"Sceptile!" and a barrage of leaves, surrounded by a green aura, appeared around his tail. Sceptile growled before unleashing the leaves onto Metagross, surrounding it. Metagross was encircled in a tornado of uncountable leaves, lifting it up before finally slamming it down with a resounding thud.

"Metagross, get up and use Psychic!" Tobias ordered.

"Meta, Meta!" Metagross spun on the ground before floating back in the air. Its eyes glowed pink before a faintly visible wave of pure energy was blasted towards Sceptile, who retaliated with Leaf Storm and obliterated the psi wave as well as the leaves.

"Sceptile, use Dragon Pulse followed by a Dig!"

Sceptile hurled another purple sphere, which Metagross this time evaded and Sceptile delved into the ground with ease. He spent a few minutes lurking around under the earth, increasing the tension above.

"Sceptile, come out and follow up with Dynamic Punch!" Ash ordered.

Sceptile let out a battle cry before erupting from the ground and slamming his body against Metagross' underside, causing it to topple over and overturn as it fell on the ground. Sceptile continued the combo with a Dynamic Punch, which added an indentation on Metagross' metal body, and Sceptile jumped back on the field.

"Metagross. Zen Headbutt…!"

Metagross grunted before floating back up, this time slower than before. Metagross channeled his energy to its head, and it floated towards Sceptile with great speed.

"Sceptile, Dynamic Punch followed with Leaf Blade!"

"Scep…TILE!" Sceptile's fist glowed once more, and the head and fist clashed which stemmed in a definite, metallic sound. A shockwave passed over either of the pokémon's' bodies, and Metagross almost looked like it was about to throw up. Sceptile, however, embraced the pain and slashed a glowing blade that extended on his forearm, and an unnoticeable scratch march appeared on Metagross' face.

With a soft growl, Metagross reverted to its original form, plunged to the ground and hit it with a thud, out cold.

"Metagross is unable to battle!" the referee said. "Sceptile is declared the winner!"

"Folks, look at that!" the commentator said. "Ash's Sceptile knocked out Tobias' Metagross without taking a hit! This is unbelievable, people! I can't wait for it to continue!"

"Metagross…return." The iron leg pokémon was absorbed back into its pokeball. "I have three pokémon left, while you have two. And Sceptile's pretty tired now; it looks like he'll be over in a couple of minutes. Pity I took this pokémon…pity…for you!

"Entei, scorch them!" Tobias exclaimed, tossing his pokeball which released the legendary beast onto the floor. The leonine, quadruped pokémon stood on all fours proudly, showing off its brown fur and light-grey cloud of smoke that replaced a mane and ran along its entire back. It let out a growl to let the audience acknowledge its presence on the battlefield.

"Tobias has stunned us to the limits, people!" the commentator said, and the crowd roared of excitement. "He has not two, but three legendary pokémon by his side!"

"How is this even allowed?!" asked Ash, his voice full of disbelief and awe. "Shouldn't there be a ban on legendary pokémon? How are they even allowed in a competitive battling environment?"

"Okay, Entei versus Sceptile. Begin!" the referee said.

"Sceptile, you up for it?" the raven-haired boy asked, earning a nod of approval from Sceptile. "Okay. Sceptile, use Leaf Storm!"

"Entei, roast them with a Flamethrower," Tobias casually ordered.

Entei let out a roar followed by powerful blazes that headed straight for the oncoming leaves. The fire scorched them, leaving some in a crispy state, while the others were disintegrated into ashes.

"Surprise it with Dragon Pulse!"

From the middle of the fire came a purple sphere that headed straight for Entei. Entei gasped, and the flames died at once, allowing the pulse of energy to crash into its face, sending the volcano pokémon reeling behind and landing on the ground on its side.

"Entei, use Lava Plume!"

"RAAAAGH!" the volcano pokémon roared. Entei then glared at Sceptile before stomping on the ground with its forelegs with all its might, causing a small rumble in the ground. Sceptile looked around warily, and the ground around Entei exploded to send a wave of hot magma that headed straight towards Sceptile.

"Sceptile, use Dig and get out of there!" Ash commanded.

Sceptile clawed the ground with all the strength he could, and evaded the wave of lava just seconds before it trickled harmlessly off the ground. A hole took place instead of Sceptile, and the battlefield was now filled with smoke that appeared due to the aftermath of Lava Plume.

"Sceptile has managed to evade the dangerous Lava Plume with great speed!" the commentator stated. "It looks like trainer Ash has trained his pokémon to be the fastest of their kind!"

"Entei, look out alright?" Tobias said.

Right then the earth burst open and Sceptile jumped out, slamming his head into Entei's underside. Entei's eyes popped out and it jumped away to allow Sceptile to land of the ground.

"Entei, Sacred Fire!"

Entei opened its mouth and the roof of its mouth started to glow. A moment later, he let out a loud growl before releasing a gold-rose colored flame that advanced towards Sceptile. Too tired to move, Sceptile took the attack and it hit him square on the chest, making him fly away and land on the ground on his back.

"Oooh!" the commentator exclaimed. "That's gotta hurt!"

"Aw, screw you!" Ash exclaimed. "Sceptile, are you alright?"

"Scep…Sceptile…!" his pokémon replied.

"Okay then, Sceptile – use Leaf Storm!"

"Entei – burn them with Sacred Fire!"

The gold-rose colored flames once again were spewed from Entei's mouth, roasting the leaves to a crisp and making them fall to the ground, ineffective at all. Once the flames and dust subsided, Sceptile was a foot away from Entei's face, and so was his fist.

"What?!" exclaimed Tobias.

"Sceptile, finish it off with Dynamic Punch!"

"Sceptile!" was all Entei heard before being struck by the forest pokémon's glowing fist. The fist landed between Entei's eyes, and the volcano pokémon flew back a meter away. The tip of its fang broke apart, and it landed on the ground for the world to see.

"Sceptile, use Dragon Pulse followed by Dynamic Punch!"

"Entei watch out!" Tobias warned.

With complete fury, Sceptile launched another purple sphere, and this one crashed into Entei's torso and sent his a foot back. As the dust cleared out, Sceptile landed his glowing fist on Entei's face, making the legendary beast squeal in pain.

"Entei, finish this!" Tobias exclaimed, his eyes not twitching. "USE EXPLOSION!"

Ash took a step back in shock. "Sceptile, get out of there using Quick Attack and Agility!"

Entei stood on all fours, eyes gleaming red and the smoke on its back was darker and bigger. With an ear-piercing roar, it was filled with a sense of unlimited power and unleashed the stored power with explosive fury. The smoke on Entei's back disappeared, and instead a geyser of energy erupted in place of the smoke. Sceptile managed to escape from the explosion radius, but the force threw him far away and he crashed into the ground.

The dust cleared, and Entei was on the ground lying on its side.

"And Entei is unable to battle!" the referee said. "Sceptile wins!"

Sceptile was wheezing heavily, placing his palms on his knees for support. His green skin had burn marks, but it looked like he could still go on.

"And Entei is out!" the commentator repeated. "Tobias took a gamble by using this last resort, but it was no match for Sceptile's speed! What a battle!"

"Grr…Entei! Return!" Tobias exclaimed, and he furiously took out his pokeball and recalled his fallen pokémon. His face broke out into a twisted grin, and his eyes turned darker. "Dragonite, go!"

"Drago, Dragonite!" Dragonite exclaimed upon soaring in the sky.

"Dragonite versus Sceptile, okay. Begin!" the referee declared.

"Sceptile, use Sunny Day." Ash snapped his fingers.

Sceptile nodded. The orbs on his back glowed white and, a moment later, white beams from each of the orbs were shot into the sky, making the sunlight brighter.

"Alright, use Synthesis now."

Sceptile's tail shined white and his whole body glowed green with sparkles, healing most of his injuries in previous battles.

"That was a great tactic by Ash!" the commentator mentioned. "First, he told Sceptile to use Sunny Day to make the sunlight stronger, and then told him to use Synthesis to heal Sceptile's injuries! And the best part is that Synthesis was faster and better due to the intense sunlight!"

"Dragonite, Agility."

Ash smirked. "Two can play that game! Sceptile, you use agility too!"

The two pokémon increased their speed and moved across the field, appearing to be visible for a few seconds before rushing to another spot the next. It would seem as if the pokémon were at multiple places at the same time!

"Sceptile, use Screech!"

Sceptile squawked in a high pitched tone, and rings of energy struck Dragonite on the belly. Dragonite fell down that instant and covered her ears in order to stop the ear-splitting noise from entering his ears.

"Sceptile, use Leaf Blade!"

"Dragonite," Tobias said, "stop it with Ice Beam!"

"Sceptile," Ash said, "use Dragonite's attack against him!"

Sceptile smirked. He swiftly ducked, evading the sheet of ice, but held the glowing Leaf Blade up so that it became frozen solid. Then, with blinding speed, he rushed towards Dragonite and slashed the blade on her torso.

"That was an incredible trick, folks!" the commentator said. "Sceptile used Ice Beam to strengthen Leaf Blade and he then struck Dragonite with a combined Ice/Grass type attack!"

"Dragonite, use Dragon Rage!"

Dragonite let out a bellow before releasing a yellow ball at Sceptile, crackling with energy. Sceptile took the attack and was thrown back due to impact.

"Sceptile, use Agility!"

Sceptile ran across the field, changing positions every other second, and it even taunted Dragonite by appearing in front of her and smirking at her. Sceptile's speed rose drastically.

"Sceptile, use Solar Beam!"

"Dragonite, use Ice Punch!"

Sceptile stopped a meter away from Dragonite, gathering sunlight by his tail and using the energy to power him up. A second later, his tail glowed white, indicating that the attack was ready. He let out a scream before unleashing the attack from his mouth, firing a white beam that sparkled and advanced towards Dragonite.

Dragonite whimpered before bracing herself, and her fist glowed light blue a second before Solar Beam struck her. The high energy attack sent her flying away and she crashed into the ground, struggling to get up.

"Dragonite, finish him with Agility and then Ice Punches!"

Dragonite travelled quickly towards Sceptile and jabbed her glowing fist onto Sceptile's torso, freezing it before it made him double over from pain. He gasped for breath before being struck by another jab, this time to his back, and he fell to the ground in agony.

"Dragonite, use Iron Tail!"

Dragonite's tail glowed into a shade of silver, and she flew in the air before doing a backflip and striking her tail onto Sceptile's frozen back. The ice crumbled, sending a shockwave up Sceptile's spine and the forest pokémon struggled to get up, which he finally did. He rushed away from Dragonite, but he was _tired_.

Tobias' face was expressionless as ever. "Finish him with Ice Beam."

"Sceptile…"

Dragonite let out a growl before firing a thick beam of ice that advanced towards Sceptile. Sceptile only looked up as his knee was on the ground, and he didn't close his eyes when the sheet of ice froze him solid.

* * *

"Why didn't Sceptile move?!" asked Dawn, throwing her arms out.

"I guess he knew it was the end," Brock replied. "Sceptile's always been a warrior, so that explains why he kept his eyes open when he took the attack."

"So Tobias has two pokémon left, while Ash has only one…" Dawn trailed off.

"And we know who it's going to be." Delia looked at everyone else, before the four supporters said one word.

"Pikachu…"

* * *

 **And so this is it! There is probably one more chapter to go, but I may stretch it to two chapters.**

 **Anyway, a few notes here...**

 **So Sceptile managed to whoop Entei _and_ Metagross. I figured that speed can be a great asset for beating up pokemon, and since Sceptile's speed is great...**

 **But he still fell to Dragonite.**

 **Now, I decided to include Entei because, hey, if you get to catch two bloody legendary pokemon, why not a third?**

 **The next matchup will be between Pikachu and Dragonite. Who do you think will win?**

 **So see you guys next chapter, and please review! I've got ten followers, seven favourites and over a hundred visitors, but only 1 review. Lol.**

 **'Kay bye**


	4. Defeat

_**Note: Since most of you will probably ask this question to yourselves, I'd like to clarify it here. So Uranium235 (ingenious name) asked this question:**_ So Charizard lost to Metagross, but Sceptile defeated Metagross and Entei? Don't you think that's a bit ridiculous? Charizard has always been Ash's strongest Pokémon. _**A:**_ Well, Charizard would've been able to beat Metagross hadn't it been for its mega evolution. Sceptile defeated Metagross because it was already weakened because of the flamethrower/seismic toss/blast burn combo, so that's why it was so easy to beat it. Entei lost because of Explosion, and a pokemon will faint upon using explosion so Sceptile technically didn't beat Entei. Metagross' defeat was split up between Charizard and Sceptile. I hope this clears up everything!

 **So here it is! The last chapter of this short series.**

 **Once again, I don't own pokemon, it all goes to Nintendo, etc.**

 **R &R!**

* * *

"Pikachu, it's all up to you, pal," Ash told his pokémon, who was perched up on his shoulder. Upon listening to this, he jumped off the shoulder and gave a determined look before running onto the field.

Ash narrowed his eyes before twisting his hat behind. He cleared one thing by this motion: shit just got real.

"And so Ash is down to his last pokémon, while Tobias still has two, which are Dragonite and Latios!" The crowd roared at this. "Let's see if this diminutive rodent will be able to stand up to the mighty dragon!"

"Okay, Pikachu versus Dragonite. Begin!" said the referee as he raised his flag.

"Dragonite, use Dragon Rage!"

"Pikachu, use Agility and dodge it!"

Dragonite formed a great, yellow ball of energy in her mouth before launching it towards Pikachu, who was waiting for the right moment to dodge the sphere of energy. The sphere grazed the grass, scorching the tips of grass blades before it crashed into the spot where Pikachu previously was.

"Dragonite, use Ice Beam!"

"Pikachu, keep on using Agility to dodge the attacks!"

Pikachu swiftly evaded each and every sheet of ice that advanced towards him, while Dragonite's rage grew each time her Ice Beam missed the rodent. This kept going for a while, until Ash gave out his next command.

"Pikachu, fire an Electro Ball!"

"PikaPikaPikachu!"

Pikachu jumped up in the air, electricity and multiple sparks surrounding him. Pikachu willed all the electricity to collect at his tail, and the electricity channeled downwards and formed a humongous yellow orb sparkling with electricity. Pikachu then jumped in the air, did a front flip and hurled the electric ball at Dragonite; the ball advanced with great speed and slammed into Dragonite's chest, creating an explosion that sent her flying back.

"And that's another great strategy folks!" The crowd cheered. "An Electro Ball's power is greater if the user's speed is greater than the target's! And Pikachu obtained this constantly using Agility to increase his speed! Absolutely brilliant!"

"Grr…Dragonite, use Flamethrower!"

"Pikachu use Thunderbolt!"

The yellow zig-zag bolt of lightning and the crimson streak of flames clashed together, showing that the pokémon were equally matched. However, Pikachu and Dragonite were being pushed back little by little, showing their struggle to overpower each other.

"Pikachu, convert Thunderbolt to Thunder!"

And another burst of electricity was shot through the previous one, this time much stronger and with an electric-blue aura surrounding it. The thunder and the previous thunderbolt merged together, increasing the strength and overpowering the flamethrower, causing it to subside slowly, and the electricity struck Dragonite, blasting it back.

"Now use Iron Tail, Pikachu!" As commanded.

Tobias jabbed his fist in the air. "Dragonite, use your Iron Tail too!"

Pikachu ran towards Dragonite while the latter did the same. They hardened their tails, each glowing white, and they slammed them against each other to send metallic sound of metal clinging together.

"Pikachu, use Thunderbolt!"

Pikachu's cheeks crackled with electricity, and he then shot a powerful burst of current through his tail. The electricity passed through the contact between Pikachu's and Dragonite's tail, electrocuting the dragon pokémon and dazing her for a second or two.

"Now, Pikachu! Thunder!"

"CHHUU!"

Pikachu let out a growl before shooting an enormous burst of electricity that headed straight towards Dragonite. The dragon pokémon was stunned to even move, and she took the attack head on before being thrown back, smoke steaming from her body. Pikachu continued to shoot the electricity until it was clear that Dragonite couldn't take it anymore.

"Dragonite is unable to battle!" The referee then went on to declare Pikachu as the winner.

"That was quick, folks! It looks like this Pikachu here is proving to be the best Pikachu there ever is! Better watch out, Tobias!" the commentator warned in a cheery voice.

"Dragonite, return!" Tobias exclaimed. "Latios, it's all up to you. Show them who the better pokémon is!"

"And Latios is back! Let's see who wins the final round of the semi-finals!" The crowd roared.

"Pikachu, even if we don't win," Ash said, "I'm proud of you…all of you. But it'd be better if you won, alright!"

"Pika pi!" Pikachu exclaimed.

"Latios, ready?" Tobias asked, to which he got a nod. "Alright, use Dragon Pulse!"

"Pikachu, use Electro Ball!"

* * *

"I have a good feeling about this," professor Oak muttered.

"Eh? Why?" Dawn asked.

"Well," professor Oak said, "Latios is already tired due to the previous battles with Gabite and Glalie, and he looks tired right now too."

"Well then, what about Pikachu?" Brock asked.

"Pikachu has just come out and defeated an already tired Dragonite, so it was pretty easy to knock her out." Delia nodded at this. "Furthermore, if Ash continues his strategy of Electro Ball, they might just win."

"Thank god this isn't like DP189," Dawn mumbled.

"What's DP189?" Delia asked in a confused voice.

"N-nothing…" Dawn blushed.

* * *

The cloud of dust disappeared. Latios and Pikachu readied another Dragon Pulse and Electro Ball respectively upon receiving commands, and they hurled their respective orbs at each other.

The yellow orb was bigger than before, but the turquoise sphere was almost equal in size. They clashed together, sending a weak wave of pure energy and vacuum in all directions.

Pikachu then charged himself with electricity, shooting electrical energy in all possible directions so that at least one bolt would hit the evading Latios. Latios attempted to ready a Dragon Pulse, but the electricity being fired simply kept him busy.

"Pikachu use Quick Attack!"

"Pika!" Pikachu ran towards Latios, leaving a white trail behind when he ran. Latios simply flew up to evade the bump, and Pikachu crashed in the ground.

"Latios use Luster Purge!"

Latios cried out as he gathered sparkles towards his mouth, forming a pink orb before a thick beam was fired from it. The beam headed towards Pikachu and almost struck him if it hadn't been for Pikachu's speed.

"Pikachu, use Thunder!"

Pikachu, in mid-air, shot out pure electricity onto Latios, who couldn't do anything but take the attack. He stumbled back upon receiving it and shook his head to focus on the match.

"Latios – Dragon Pulse!"

"Pikachu, fire a Thunderbolt!"

Latios hurled a turquoise orb towards Pikachu while the latter shot electricity. The two attacks met, creating a miniature explosion as dust engulfed the entire battlefield and disabled anyone to see what was going on.

"Latios, use Giga Impact!"

Latios cocooned himself in a familiar purple veil, and he flew towards Pikachu with incredible speed. Ash simply waited for the eon pokémon to come closer to the electric type rodent, and when they were at a good distance he let out his command.

"Pikachu, jump!"

Pikachu smacked his tail on the ground, and used that impulse to soar in the air and evade the attack. Latios passed through Pikachu's previous position and stopped midway, losing the purple coat and finally stopping Giga Impact.

Latios flew by and curved up back into the sky, looking for Pikachu on the ground. Tobias looked confused as he wondered where Pikachu went – surely he couldn't fly?

"Where has Pikachu gone?" the commentator asked. "Where is he?!"

"T-there!" a person from the audience shouted in a shrill voice. "There it is!"

And unbeknownst to Latios, Pikachu managed to land on his back. Latios turned back to see Pikachu holding on tightly, and the eon pokémon furiously shook his body in attempting to throw Pikachu off.

"Pikachu," Ash said, showing a thumbs-down, "Thunder."

"PIKAPIKACHUUUU!" Pikachu let out a blinding burst of voltage that electrocuted Latios and caused severe damage to the eon pokémon. Latios cried out in agony as the thunder continued, making him lose control of his flight and swoop down.

"Latios!" Tobias exclaimed, furiously worried. "Light Screen!"

Latios projected an invisible barrier between Pikachu and he, reducing Thunder's power as Pikachu continued to transfer electricity into Latios' body. Even still, Latios was dealing great damage and looked as if he couldn't keep going any more.

"Latios, fly up in the air!"

Latios noted this and flew high in the sky, as if trying to reach the sky's limit. Then, with a sudden twist, he twisted in the air and flew downwards, tucking in his wings to swoop down faster and faster. This sudden movement made Pikachu loosen his grip and he plummeted down separately, waiting to meet his end.

"Pikachu, use Thunder, full power! Make it count!"

"Latios, Luster Purge!"

Pikachu charged himself up with electricity while Latios readied his sphere of energy. Latios halted in mid-air, while Pikachu continued to plummet down, until he finally exploded with raw energy and shot the thick streak of electricity towards Latios. The eon pokémon too this chance to fire his own attack, and the pink beam was fired away.

It took a second before the two attacks met, creating an enormous explosion of intense power that wafted in all directions. Ash covered his eyes to prevent the dust from entering them while Tobias simply cloaked himself. The crowd anticipated for the dust to clear, and when it did they simultaneously gasped.

At that moment, Pikachu was cloaked in electricity, heading straight for Latios with one thing in his mind – victory. His eyes were fierce and he let out a growl before he crashed into the awestruck Latios, sending both of them reeling down as gravity pulled them towards the ground. Latios was momentarily cloaked with electricity too, but it disappeared once they crashed into the ground, wafting more dust around.

When the dust cleared, Latios and Pikachu were still standing, but barely. Pikachu was covered in dust and bruise marks, and Latios was in the same state. They both gave each other respectful looks, but they weren't going to back down.

"Latios," Tobias said, "charge another Luster Purge."

"Pikachu, if you're alright," Ash wheezed, "use Agility…combined with Volt Tackle!"

"Pika…PikaCHUUUU!"

"Laaa…TIIYOS!"

Pikachu once more cloaked himself in electricity, and sparks crackled from his body as he sped towards Latios, not holding back. Latios did the same; he once again gathered shimmering sparkles in the air, coagulated them and formed a great, pink orb in front of his mouth.

Latios fired another beam that headed straight towards Pikachu; the Volt Tackle and Luster Purge met. However, Pikachu wasn't backing down; he slowly cut through the Luster Purge, rushing closer and closer to Latios, but his strength was waning and he struggled to cut through the attack.

"Pikachu…" Ash muttered. "Pikachu, channel the electricity to your tail and use Iron Tail!"

Pikachu lost the electric cloak, conducting all of his energy to his mow glowing tail. His tail turned from white to bronze, and he jumped up in order to evade the Luster Purge, and he did a front flip before successfully scoring a hit on Latios by slamming his tail down the eon pokémon's forehead, causing another explosion that almost knocked the two trainers off their feet and destroyed all the monitors in the process.

The battlefield was covered with smoke and everyone was desperate to see what was happening. The smoke clearly cleared, along with Ash and Tobias coughing madly. They looked hard and saw a silhouette of a small rodent standing on his feet, and a floating dragon that was slowly getting pulled to the ground.

* * *

"Please…" Dawn muttered. "Come on, Pikachu, I know you can do it…Damn you Arceus! Just clear the goddamn smoke!"

Brock stared at Dawn in disbelief as she thrusted her middle finger in the air, bringing a lot of attention.

* * *

The dust cleared. Ash gave a smile of joy as he saw Latios slowly crashing to the ground, closing his eyes as he was out cold. Pikachu was wheezing madly as he struggled to stand up.

The referee stared in disbelief before clearing his throat. "And Latios is unable to…huh?"

"Pika…chu…" Pikachu muttered, and his eyes closed before crashing face-first into the ground.

"B-B-both pokémon are u-unable to b-b-battle!" the referee stuttered. "T-this m-m-match is a t-t-tie…?"

"What the f***?!" was the only thing that came out from Ash's mouth. After so much of a struggle, after defeating three legendary pokémon, a mega evolved pokémon and a pokémon who had a type advantage in a round; this is what he came to?

But he didn't complain anymore. Pikachu had done his best…there was nothing more he could ask for.

"This is it! Latios and Pikachu have matched each other in terms of strength! Wow! I couldn't ask for anything more!" the commentator exclaimed. "But, since it is a tie, please wait for a few moments. The Board will reach its conclusion. Please wait for a few minutes, folks. Stay tuned! You wouldn't want to miss this moment!"

And the connection was cut off. Ash sighed, and he walked to Pikachu and picked him up in his arms.

"Pika…" Pikachu wheezed.

"Hey," Ash said. "You did your best, Pikachu! I couldn't ask for anything more from you. I'm proud of all you guys." He stood up. "Come on. Let's take you to the Pokémon Centre."

* * *

It had been thirty minutes since Ash had gone to the Pokémon Centre. While he was there, he read a few pokémon magazines that were there before he was interrupted by none other than Paul.

"Oh, hey, Paul," Ash said, and he closed the magazine.

"That was a good battle, Ash." Paul gave a weak smile.

"Really?" asked Ash. If he was drinking something right now, it would've surely ended up on Paul's tee.

"Yea. I wouldn't be able to stand up to his Darkrai alone, forget his Latios."

"Thanks, Paul. That's great of you," Ash said with a surprised expression.

"But your win against me was out of pure luck!" Paul's expression turned serious. "If I just hadn't—"

"Trainer Ash and Trainer Tobias please assemble at stadium number three for the results of your Sinnoh League Pokémon Battle," a feminine pokémon said through the speakers.

"That's my cue." Ash got up and walked out of the Pokémon Centre, not before taking his Pikachu of course.

And so Ash walked up to the trainer tunnel, finally escaping out of the darkness and entering the light filled stadium. The people cheered upon his arrival, and Tobias was already there.

"Now, since both trainers are assembled here," the commentator said, "we'll be hearing the decision everyone's been waiting for! People, brace yourselves!"

At the same second as the commentator concluded his talk, Cynthia took the mic and gave a smile to everyone. "Hello, Sinnoh!

"As you know, we're all here because of the semi-final match between Tobias Takuto and Ash Ketchum, which sadly ended in a draw. Now, we would love to let both trainers advance to the finals, but...sadly, there can be only one victor. And so, as the Pokémon League Association has come to a stand, the winner of the semi-final round is none other than Tobi—"

"Wait!"

Cynthia halted midway, and she looked at the source of the voice along with the audience. It was none other than Tobias himself. He walked towards Cynthia and whispered something to her, and she paled. She gave him a 'are you kidding me' look, and he simply nodded.

"Okay," she said as she breathed heavily. "Now, the original victor was to be Tobias Takuto, but his decision is…unique. So, Tobias Takuto has decided to…forfeit his victory and give it to Ash Ketchum."

"WHAT THE F***?!" the crowd roared collectively (okay, not all of them but most of them. Like, 80% of them). They looked at Tobias in disbelief before a riot broke out, and people were cursing in their stands as they made their way to the battlefield.

"WAIT!" Tobias shouted as he snatched the mic from Cynthia's hands. "I don't believe I'm saying this, but…I have reached this decision because of Ash Ketchum himself. His strong bond with his pokémon has done what some would call the impossible: bring me and my pokémon down to their knees. And if I didn't have Darkrai, Latios or Entei with me, I would've surely lost.

"Ash Ketchum is a capable trainer. He would've surely defeated me hadn't it been for my Legendary Pokémon, and I feel bad that his chance of winning a league would've ended because of an Ubermensch trainer with three goddamn legendary pokémon by his side, because if I had my reserve pokémon I would've surely lost.

"This I the reason for my 'rash' decision." Tobias handed the mic back and winked at Ash before leaving. "Good luck in the finals, Ash. I hope you win."

Tobias then left. Ash gaped at the ground with wide eyes; he couldn't believe that he had advanced to the finals. He didn't blink at all…he stared at the ground, and he didn't feel joy or sadness or happiness…all he felt was shock.

Was it sympathy that Tobias had for a fourteen-year-old boy, who couldn't win only because of a Board's decision? Or was it pity that he couldn't advance further than the top four? Ash couldn't tell, but he felt sad that Tobias had to throw away his chance only because of righteousness.

Ash gasped for breath as someone bumped into his body, and he felt arms grappling him as he struggled to get free. He finally tore away from the hug and saw Dawn grinning at him happily, squealing at the same time as her Piplup was dancing around in joy with her pom-poms. His mother, professor Oak and Brock were not far behind, and each had an ear-to-ear grin on their faces.

That was when he felt lips colliding against his. His eyes were about to pop out once he saw Dawn smooching him passionately, and he was star-struck as he stood there surprised. A second later she broke apart and blushed furiously before running away in embarrassment.

"Finally, Ash!" said Brock as he patted him on his back. His mother hugged him before Oak followed the same gesture Brock had done.

Ash felt a feeling erupting in him.

It was joy…

…Immense joy.

And he had finally won.

* * *

 **And so it's over! Tobias forfeited, and ash won.**

 **I found it really silly if Ash would've won, because he's won all of his matches with losing at least one pokemon, while Tobias won all of his matches without losing a single pokemon (except for this one, but this one is fan-made). So I decided that Ash should win only because Tobias forfeits the match due to...reasons which I mentioned above.**

 **Now, I hope I made the battle between Pikachu and Latios pretty intense and that you all liked it.**

 **Note: Should I continue this and make a sequel of the finals? Or should I just leave it where it is?**

 **As always, reviewing is a MUST! Hahaha. Please review and tell me whether you liked these four chapters and how it ended.**


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